Hemp or flax decorticating machine



5 Sheets-Sheet I.

' (No Model.)

A. E. ELLINWOOD. HEMP OR FLAX DEGORTIGATING MAUHINE. No. 461,260. Pajcented Oct. 13,1891.

'(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. E. ELLINWOOD.

HEMP 0R PLAX DEGORTIGATING MACHINE.

No. 461,260; Patented Oct. 13,1891.

*1 o v o M II?! M (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3..

A. E. ELLINWOOD. HEMP 0R PLAX DEOORTIGATING MACHINE.

No. 461,260. 1 Patented Oct. 13,1891.

n1: NORRIB Pgrzns no PHOTO-7110., wAsmrw-Yon, g. c.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

A. E. ELLINWOOD.

HEMP 0R FLAX DEGORTIGATING MACHINE. No. 461.260. Patented 001;. 13, 1891.

w n g (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet. A. E. ELLINWOOD.

HEMP 0R FLAX DEGORTIUATING MACHINE. No. 461,260. Patented Oct. 13,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS E. ELLINWOOD, OF AKRON, OHIO.

HEMP OR FLAX DECOFiTICATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,260, dated October 13,1891.

Application filed December 5, 1890. Serial No. 373,637. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS E. ELLIN- WOOD, of Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hemp or Flax Decorticating Machines, for preparing and.

cleaning the stalks of fibrous plants and separating the woody or refuse part of the stalk from the fibrous part that is utilized in commerce, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in several devices which form my combined machine, or said devices may be applied separately to other forms of similar machines.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved machine fortreating break-bars and fan location.

fibrous stalks. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same with a portion of the casing broken away to show the break-bars. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the delivery end of my machine with part of the casing removed, showing the Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section through thecenter of my machine, showing the essential features of the invention, as stated hereinafter. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views showing on a large scale the construction of the reciprocating sash. Figs. '7 and 8 are similar views showing the break-bars. Figs. 9, 10, afid 11 are enlarged detail views of the yielding or spring support of same, as described.

In the drawings, 1 is the main supportingframe, preferably made of cast-iron, one frame on each side of the machine, which I have also shown as being securely bolted to the cross-sills 2 of the transporting-runners 3 and 4, to which is attached a draw-bolt 5.

In the drawings illustrating my devices the material to be treated or acted on by the machine is placed in a supporting or yielding chute or box 39, which has a removable side piece secured by hook 40, and the material passes under a-corrugated feed-roller 36, and as it is forced outward beneath the roller the aperture is provided with means of expansion and contraction at any point beneath the roller or the entire width of the aperture upon which the material is supported in its outward passage, as the passage-way .1s provided at this point with a series of yielding fingers or bars 43, having steel-plated sur- The condition or tensile strength of the fiber is changeable, and it differs in various periods after its harvest, and is very materially affected by the atmospherical conditions at the 1 time of decortication.

My breaking device consists of a verticallyreciprocating'frame 8 or sash, that is mounted at each side on vertical bearings 6, secured to supports 7 on the main frame. This reciprocating frame consists of an upper and lower bar 9 and 10, loosely secured at each end in an enlarged aperture 49 in thevertically-reciprocating frame. This manner of securing the reciprocating bars provides a means for impartinga flexible stroke of the bars against the hemp, which is not liable to break the :fiber, as is the case when the blow or contact .is made by or between rigid bars or surfaces, fwhich have no facility of yielding. The stationary bars are provided with means to ad- ,mit this yielding movement for the same purpose.

v The crank-journal 14 on the side of the frame 8 has attached thereon, at each side, a pitman 13, secured to a crank pin or journal "15 in the disk 16, that is secured to the power-shaft 17, through which it derives its motion by means of the driving-pulley 21 and its actuating-belt 22. The bars 9 and 10 of the reciprocating frame are placed at a sufficient distance apart to provide a throat or passage-way A, through which the stalks are forced, while above and below the bars 9 and 10, on each side and parallel therewith, are placed elastically-secured stationary breakbars'll ll 12 12, and the aperture or throat or passage-Way for the stalks being larger and of greater distance apart than in the reciprocating bars, these break-bars 11 11 12 12 are supported and adj ustably secured at each end tween the stationary break-bars, through' which the stream of stalks pass, than in the reciprocating sash is to admit of free space for expansion of the material as it is forced from the supporting-bars against and between which it is broken above and below by the action of the reciprocating sash. This space also'materially aids in separating the fiber from the wood, and also facilitates the outward passage of the stream of broken stalks and the disentanglement of the fiber.

The elongated apertureorslot 50 in the supof the bar-supporting .rods 18 18 inorder that the bars 11 11 and 12 12 may be able to yield at times when a large quantity of stalks of material being acted on by the reciprocating bars 9 10 is forced between them, and thus prevent the mutilation or breaking of the fiber or clogging of the machine under a large stream of stalks.

It will be observed that all of my breakbars are provided with rounded edges in 'order that the fiber of the stalk may not be cut i I have also provided means for pro- 1 ducing an outwardly forcing or driving air cur- E rent or pressure in the direction of .the movement of the hemp to assist in forcing forward a the stalks as theyare acted on by the breaker, and at the same time the current of air is dithereby.

rected to straighten the lint and force it outwardly and to disentagle its fibers, and also assist in separating the hurd of stalks from break-bars and thence to continue over or bedownwardly upon the fiber that has passed 1 tween the break-bars, so that it m ay b e loro u ght through the breaker by changing its direction to force the current of air beneath the breaking device and thence upwardly from. below against the fiber on its under side, and at the sam e-ti'me the-current of air will pass outwardly through the throat or passage-way as it is opened by the reciprocating movements of the passage-Way A or throat of the verticallymoving break-bars 9 10. I have provided sliding or regulating movable plates 42 431 for controlling and regulating the direction of the air, as desired, in the operation of the machine on different conditions of the fiber and stocks, and by means of my adaptation and changing the manner of application of the air-currents it will be found of great value and utility in practical use. I have also provided my feed-roller with an adjustable speedregulating device, as it is very desirable to increase or decrease the speed of the feedsupplying devices, so that it may be regulated to the varying conditions of the material under treatment; also, to enable the attendant to regulate the action .of the feed as in his judgment it may be desirable :to secure the best results. This device consists of the vertical shaft 30, provided with .aJbevel-pinion 29, through which it derives its motion from wheel 28 by means of a sprocket-wheel 25., secured to shaft 26., that is actuated by drivingchain 24, audits sprocket-Wheel 23, that is se- 1 cured to the main shaft 17, and this vertical porting-lugs 1-9 admit of a lateral movement Y shaft 30 is provided with a vertically-adjustable friction-roller 31, that revolves with the shaft, and being in frictional contact with disk 32, secured to shaft 33, that is provided with a driving-pinion 342, that actuates the gear driving-wheel 34 secured to shaft 35 of the feed-roller. This driving-disk or frictionroller 31 imparts motion to the feeding-roller, i and the hand-lever 37, pivoted at 372, is secured to a collar that encircles the drivingroller, and as the lever is adjusted up or down and locked to plate 38 it moves the frictionroller to any desirable point between the peripheryand the center of the disk 32 and thus imparts increased or decreased motion to the driving pinion or shaft 33.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of the feed-box 39, its elastic yielding fingers 43, and the feed-roller 36 with the vertically-reciprocating breakbars 9 and 10, provided with rounded or beveled breaking-edges, the stationary breakbars 11 11 and 12 12, likewise provided with rounded or beveled edges, and means for adjusting the break-bars 11 11 and 112 12, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the movable break bars 9 and 10, stationary break-bars 11 and 12,

means for adjusting said stationary bars, and

elastically-supported bars 11 l1 and 12 12, against which the stalks are broken, the passage-Way between the stationary loaf-s being deeper and larger vertically than the passage- Way between the reciprocating sash-bars to admit the expansion of the stalks and fiber as the outward-moving stream is reciprocated and disentangled and'cleaned in the manner shown and described.

6. The combination of the breaking-frame.

having a regular reciprocating movement for breaking the stalks, a feeding-roller, and ad-.,

justable devices for changing the speed of said feeding-roller, and a locking-detent to secure the said speed-changin g devices in any of the adjustments, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the elastically-supported breaking-bars 11 11 and 12 12, their supporting-rods 18 18 18 18, and means whereby the said breaking-bars may be adjustably secured to the said supporting-rods, substantially as described. v

AUGUSTUS E. ELLINWOOD. WVitnesses:

F. H. WATERS, WM. ISBELL. 

